BXBX NOVEL Chapter 105 – Mystery (2)
Chapter 105 – Mystery (2)
“W-wait a second.”
Arkamis stammered, her golden eyes flickering back and forth.
With trembling hands, she reached into her pocket, gently grasping the contents inside.
Softly, she drew out her hand.
Swish.
Iridescent particles slipped through her clenched fist.
The sight made Arkamis involuntarily swallow.
“Gasp.”
Arkamis nearly choked on her breath.
She stood there, dazed for a moment, before creakingly turning her head to look at Ketal.
“You, you, you! How did you get this?”
“I was summoned to the royal castle. During that process, I helped solve a problematic matter. That’s when I obtained this.”
“…What do you mean?”
“It was related to the iridescent particles. Even if I wanted to explain, it’s difficult to do so.”
“Is it classified?”
“That… I’m not sure, but it’s awkward to talk about.”
The Tower Master had mentioned that the kingdom would reveal the matter of the Lutein Kingdom’s anomaly to the world.
That meant they would be the ones to disclose the information.
There was no need for Ketal to speak first.
“Really?”
Arkamis pondered alone.
‘Did he clear a dungeon to help the kingdom?’
She had heard similar stories from Milena.
Sometimes, when a dungeon was particularly unusual or contained extremely valuable materials, the kingdom would secretly hire skilled and discreet mercenaries to clear it.
Ketal had solved a request significant enough to be summoned to the royal castle.
That meant he had earned a certain level of trust.
‘He must be quite skilled as a mercenary.’
Ketal didn’t know about the mystery.
But mercenary skills weren’t just about strength.
Dungeon clearing required a variety of techniques to be evaluated.
Ketal seemed to have the skills to clear and solve dungeons.
In fact, while learning alchemy, he came up with ideas she never expected.
Ketal had helped the royal castle clear a dungeon.
The iridescent particles were the reward for that.
It explained why Ketal hadn’t told her the location of the dungeon.
Although she was undoubtedly skilled, she was still an elf and thus an outsider.
The kingdom couldn’t fully trust her.
Arkamis came to a conclusion.
“It must have been a very difficult dungeon to get such valuable particles as a reward.”
“Hmm?”
Ketal was momentarily puzzled by her words.
He hadn’t cleared a dungeon.
But he didn’t bother correcting her.
Arkamis kept marveling at the contents of the pouch.
“Wow…”
Arkamis’s eyes sparkled.
There were enough particles to be worth more than any gold or treasure.
Ketal asked expectantly,
“Is this enough?”
“Enough? Of course!”
Arkamis nodded.
Her eyes gleamed as she fondled the particles.
“With this much, I can eliminate most variables through experimentation. I’ll start making it right away.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Ketal smiled with satisfaction.
* * *
From then on, Arkamis devoted herself entirely to studying the particles, barely eating.
She analyzed their structure and how to handle them to create the mystery.
She even stopped eating Ketal’s cooking, which she loved so much.
“How about taking a break?”
“But…”
“You look extremely tired. It must be hard to concentrate properly like this.”
“…That’s true.”
Arkamis lay down on the sofa, her body swaying. Ketal asked,
“It seems you’ve made some progress.”
“Somewhat.”
Arkamis spoke with her eyes closed.
“It’s a truly fascinating catalyst. The more I research, the more new properties keep appearing.”
It was hard to believe such a thing could be found in a dungeon.
“What, was it a dungeon from a labyrinth?”
She joked.
Of course, it was a jest.
The labyrinth was a mysterious place inaccessible to outsiders.
She meant that the materials were that extraordinary.
Ketal smiled oddly.
“Still… I’m starting to get a grasp on it. The analysis will be done soon.”
“Oh.”
Ketal’s eyes lit up.
The special power of fantasy, the mystery, was within his reach.
He felt a sense of reality that he would soon obtain it.
“So, what will you do with the mystery once you have it?”
“I’m still thinking.”
He wanted to learn both swordsmanship and magic.
Although the Tower Master said trying to master both would make him mediocre at both, it was hard for him to give up.
But he had priorities.
Ketal replied,
“First, I want to learn magic.”
So far, the techniques of the swordmasters he had encountered weren’t that appealing.
Cain’s techniques could be mimicked with his bare hands, and Maximus was just fast.
In contrast, magic was special.
It could control nature and create barriers that obscured entire castles.
Naturally, he was drawn to magic.
“Huh?”
Arkamis, looking startled, sat up.
“You want to learn magic?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
Arkamis was visibly flustered.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing.”
Arkamis shook her head.
‘So he’s not solely focusing on alchemy. Well, I suppose I can’t say anything about that.’
They weren’t in a serious mentor-student relationship.
Arkamis was teaching him out of boredom.
She couldn’t interfere with what Ketal chose to learn.
Ketal didn’t have a reason to be overly committed to alchemy; he started learning it because he didn’t know the mystery.
Still, she couldn’t help but think:
‘He could have said he would take alchemy more seriously.’
Arkamis grumbled internally but didn’t say it out loud; it would make her seem petty.
Yet her dissatisfaction was written all over her face.
Ketal chuckled.
“That doesn’t mean I’m abandoning alchemy. Magic and alchemy are related, so I can do both. You’ll still be my teacher.”
“W-what are you talking about? I wasn’t thinking anything like that.”
Arkamis shook her head vigorously.
She cleared her throat and asked,
“If you’re learning magic, you’ll be going to the Magic Tower.”
“The Magic Tower.”
He had heard a lot about it.
The place managed by the Tower Master, where most of the world’s magic schools gathered.
“Have you been there?”
“I went when I first started learning alchemy. That must be about a hundred years ago. I don’t know how it is these days.”
A hundred years.
Moments like these made it clear she was an elf.
The fantasy-like conversation lightly impressed Ketal.
“It was a pretty interesting place. Back then, perceptions of elves weren’t great, but there was no discrimination. The only regret was not meeting the Tower Master.”
“You wanted to meet the Tower Master?”
“Of course! The Tower Master! The sole owner of the tower where all the mages gather!”
The Magic Tower was the center of magic for centuries, a place where powerful mages gathered.
The Tower Master was its sole owner, a lich who had existed for hundreds of years, and one of the strongest mages on the continent.
Arkamis murmured with eyes full of admiration.
“I’d love to meet the Tower Master. The living history of the Magic Tower. They must know so much and have such a dignified presence.”
‘That doesn’t quite match my impression.’
To Ketal, the Tower Master seemed like an ordinary old person.
But he didn’t say that, not wanting to shatter her dreams.
Instead, Ketal asked what he was curious about.
“If the Tower Master is one of the strongest mages, are there others at a similar level?”
“Overall, the Tower Master is considered the best, but there are two others of comparable strength.”
“So, there are three in total.”
Heroes, as they were called.
Ketal was intrigued by them.
“What are heroes?”
The Tower Master said they could handle even nanos, which could replace everything.
While Ketal could do that too, the Tower Master demonstrated more than just raw power.
A barrier that encircled the entire castle, preventing anything from leaving.
An influence so vast that it put the entire capital’s population to sleep.
And restoring the destruction he caused, returning the devastated land to its original state. It was a mystery beyond mere physical power.
“Hmmm…”
Arkamis looked uncertain how to explain.
“They’re just beings that shake the world in the purest sense.”
“Shake the world?”
“Heroes can materialize the mystery. They can impose their will on the world itself.”
It wasn’t a metaphor.
They could alter the laws of the world.
“They can exert such strong influence that it’s beyond common understanding. For instance, one of the hero-class mages wanted to create their own city. A lawless and free city where no one could intervene.”
So, the mage created a city.
“Underground, where sunlight never reaches.”
A paradise for criminals.
The underground city, Magnarein.
This was accomplished in just one month after the mage decided to do it.
“…Is that even possible?”
“Impossible? Not at all. The Tower Master built the Magic Tower alone.”
“Wow.”
Ketal was genuinely impressed.
A city created single-handedly by one person, no less an underground city—a lawless, free city, a paradise for criminals.
These words were brimming with fantasy.
He felt a strong desire to visit Magnarein.
“They’re beings beyond pure comprehension. From a simple strength perspective, there’s one who single-handedly defeated a dragon.”
“A dragon!”
Ketal’s eyes lit up.
He had not heard any news about dragons so far, and had begun to wonder if they existed here.
Dragons, one of the most iconic fantasy creatures.
And a hero who could defeat one alone.
These were beings considered the strongest in the world.
“Of course, I’ve heard they have limitations, but even so, they’re beyond common sense. Even the Empire wouldn’t dare to recklessly provoke them. That’s what a hero is.”
“Fascinating.”
It was truly intriguing.
He also felt a bit regretful.
He should have talked more with the Tower Master instead of letting them go so easily.
“Oh, that reminds me.”
Arkamis suddenly remembered something.
“I heard there’s a hero who entered the White Snowfield.”
“…Hmm?”
Ketal’s face twisted into a peculiar expression.
“Why would anyone go there?”
“Who knows? Maybe to prove their strength. They went in three months ago and there’s been no word since.”
Three months ago.
After he had left the snowfield.
“The kingdom with the hero kept it tightly under wraps, and it’s only recently come to light.”
A hero was an irreplaceable treasure for a nation.
Their mere presence provided significant diplomatic advantages with other countries.
Naturally, a kingdom with a missing hero would try to keep that information hidden, but secrets have a way of getting out.
“The rumor probably started spreading around the time you went to the royal capital.”
“…Quite an odd person.”
“Right?”
Ketal genuinely couldn’t understand it.
Wanting to enter such a bizarre place was incomprehensible to him.
Their conversation led to another curiosity.
“Are there any elves who are called heroes?”
“There is one. An elf who made a contract with the Spirit King.”
“The Spirit King.”
Ketal’s eyes sparkled again.
The mention of such captivating figures made his heart race.
“But it’s just the power of spirits.”
Arkamis looked displeased.
“Gaining power through a contract with a spirit isn’t the same as obtaining power on your own, right? I don’t find it meaningful. That’s why we fought a lot.”
“That’s why you left your village?”
An elf living alone in a human kingdom, away from their tribe.
Even Ketal, who didn’t know much about fantasy, found it unusual.
Arkamis dodged the question.
“Well, that’s part of it. Elven villages are boring.”
Arkamis lay down on the sofa again.
“I prefer the outside world. It’s more stimulating and there’s more to learn. I’m not a typical elf.”
She then looked at Ketal.
“Do you think I’m strange?”
“Not really. You seem like a normal elf to me.”
An elf who left a boring village to travel outside.
That, too, was a classic fantasy trope.
Ketal thought nothing more of it.
Arkamis smiled, pleased with his response.
A week later, Arkamis completed her analysis of the rainbow-colored grains.
Everything was ready for them to understand the mystery.